Excellent. Nice complexity of bitter flavours from the roasted malts, with the usual suspects of coffee and dark chocolate making appearances, but tempered by a lactose sweetness that adds a milky flavour, assisted by the creamy texture. The hop bitterness is not first apparent, but is gradually revealed during the long complex finish. Another stellar beer from DDC. (17/20)

Not unpleasant by any means, but I have to say I was expecting more of a salted chocolate punch. Both flavours are there, but restrained. Which, probably, is a more sophisticated approach than the beast I was anticipating. (Guess I’m just unsophisticated at heart.) Nicely balanced and restrained almost to the point of delicate. (16/20)

Some cidery apple notes and a doughy, bread-like yeast initially dominate the flavour. As that fades, there’s a moderate bitter and a mild tartness that linger. Despite the quick recession of the head, there’s significant champagne-like carbonation that persists all the way to the end of the glass. The high ABV is seriously well-hidden, making this a very sneaky sipper. The character is about what I’d expect given its long cellaring, but that’s by no means a negative. That being said, I’ll have to try it again fresh, just for comparison. (15/20)

Flavour is dominated by honey, fruit, and floral, but there’s a definite Belgian yeast character and dusty funk in the background. Not unpleasant, but there’s a distinct feeling of age and I can’t help but wonder how this tastes new. A little disappointing by comparison to the Saison Dupont. (12/20)

Starts off a bit on the sweet side, but the malt kind of dies halfway through and leaves… well… not a lot backing it up. Spices are reasonably restrained, though, and it’s fairly drinkable. Serviceable but nothing too special. (12/20)

I’m not convinced. There’s a not-entirely-identifiable smoky flavour that isn’t doing it for me. The mouth feel tends to the thin side for a winter warmer, and there’s a lack of spiciness or richness. In my experience, QV tends to be hit and miss, and I think this one is more “miss,” than “hit”. (10/20)

Not bad at all. There’s a decent amount of caramel maltiness supporting the hops, but not so much that I’d call it malt-forward. Very well-balanced and pleasantly bitter on the finish, with a bit of spiciness from the hops. Decently high ABV, too, but very well integrated to the point that it never intrudes. A solid performer from a solid brewery. (14/20)

“The Ribaldry of Christmas,” huh? Guess that explains the nekkid ladies on the label. The spices tend to dominate, making it a fairly standard winter warmer, albeit with a bit of Belgian character and a well-integrated ABV that emerges only as a gentle warming as the bottle progresses. The smoked peppers start to become apparent after a while as well, adding to the “warmer” characteristic. A bit sweet, but I guess that’s to be expected for the style. Decent enough, if a touch pricey. (14/20)

I’m tempted to say the shortcomings on this one are true to the traditional style, instead of accidental. Personally, though, I found the flavours and the carbonation to be on the low side, making this thing milder than it needed to be. Pleasant, without being all that memorable. (15/20)

This has a strong similarity to DDC’s Disco Soleil, but less sweet and more restrained. More mature: grapefruit for breakfast, instead of sweet mandarins. A very well-behaved IPA with tons of flavour and character. The collaboration with The Alchemist is also apparent, and there are distinct similarities to Heady Topper. (18/20)